University of Virginia Library

23. Fa-sheng

[OMITTED]

The nun Fa-sheng (Victory of the Law) of Wu County South
Convent

Fa-sheng's [origins are unknown].[72] When young, she left the household
life and took up the life of a religious in South Convent of Wu
County [some distance to the southeast of the capital of the Sung
dynasty].[73] Some sources say it was East Convent. Her piety and zeal
were recognized by the assembly.[74]

In the yüan-chia reign period (424-453) of the Sung dynasty a certain
Ssu-ma Lung, originally of Ho-nei [in the north],[75] who was serving
as the county magistrate of P'i-ling [southeast of the capital], met
up with an attack and was killed in battle.[76] The parents of his wife,
Madame Shan, had already died, and she had no children. Madame
Shan was already advanced in years when she went to Wu County to
stay with Fa-sheng, who treated her as her own mother. Almost half a
year later Madame Shan got sick. The illness grew progressively worse
and after three years was at a critical stage. Because Fa-sheng had
nothing stored in reserve, she had to beg for all the medicines needed
to treat Madame Shan. When begging for the medicines, Fa-sheng

feared neither rain nor heat; she fled neither wind nor cold. Madame
Shan's condition thereafter improved, and everyone praised and honored
Fa-sheng.

Later, Fa-sheng traveled to the capital to further her study of meditation,
in the course of which she penetrated the riches of contemplation,
and she investigated to the utmost the subtle and hidden fruits of
the spiritual life. She instructed her disciples, accomplishing this without
undue severity. When acting she did not seek personal gain; when
in repose she did not seek fame. In her diligent and complete observation
of all her duties, she could not but save living beings.

At age 60 she had been ill for some time, and she herself said she
would not recover. When her intimate disciples, puzzled, asked how
she knew, Fa-sheng informed them, "Just now I saw two Buddhist
monks who told me this is the case." After a brief while she continued,
"I see two other monks, different from the ones I saw previously.
Their right shoulders are bare as though they are preparing to circumambulate
the Buddha in worship, and they are carrying flowers and
placing them by my bed.[77] Some distance behind them I see a Buddha
sitting on a lotus flower, and his radiance is reflecting on my body."
After this she did not go to sleep again that night. Instead, she asked
someone to chant the Flower of the Law for her, but near the end of
the night her breath grew short, so she gave the command, "Stop
chanting the scripture and instead repeat the name of the Buddha for
me." She herself also repeated the name of the Buddha and at dawn,
her countenance unchanged, she suddenly died.